Most people are looking for hypnotherapy to quit smoking or loose weight. Does it really work?

Hypnosis helps to reduce the cravings for unhealthy foods or tobacco, and increases motivation for physical activity, but the most important issue here is client's own desire to change their habits.

Average success rate for becoming tobacco-free with hypnosis is about 60% - compared to 25% who manage to quit smoking on 'willpower alone" and 35% with the help of nicotine patches.

However, motivation of the client is essential. If you are trying to quit smoking or loose weight to please your family or boss - hypnosis will not work.

When it comes to life-time smokers - it may be easier to help you to switch to e-cigs or reduce amount of cigarettes you smoke a day -  instead of  attempting to drop the habit altogether. Nicotine is a mild stimulant and is not all that physically addictive. It is not more addictive then coffee...you loose physical addiction to nicotine in 3-7 days of abstinence.   (I have a suspicion that "nicotine is more addictive then heroin" myth was created by tobacco industry). Psychological addiction is much stronger! "Hand to mouth" habit  is hard to get rid off after 20+ years of grabbing a cigarette in any stressful ot boring situation... If you smoked for a very long time  - try switching to e-cigs, as you can still smoke, but with much less harm, and it is easier to reduce smoking to minimum and just keep e-cigs around for an occasional "pacifying"...I can definitely do a session with you for switching and transfer all you emotional triggers from regular tobacco to e-cigs and make you like them more then real tobacco. And after that we can work on reducing the amount and dropping the habit altogether. .

If you only smoked for several years and have lots of pleasant memories of being a non-smoking adult - it is very easy to quit with hypnosis!

In my own experience hypnosis is terrific way to change eating habits - I personally lost about 30 lbs in 2 months while in Hypnotherapy Academy: as a subject for other students I always asked for weigh loss suggestions and I also listened to the self-hypnosis tape I made for myself  - and I am very pleased with the result. But I did change what I eat - I eliminated almost all carbs and sugar from my diet (pizza, pasta, potatoes, sweets, soda, sweet juices etc) I still eat whatever I want at parties or on outings - but I buy mostly fruits, veggies and fish for my home fridge!
Hypnosis makes it much easier to enjoy foods which are good for you! And you also begin to remember to drink a lot of water and walk as much as possible. And mute your TV or switch to another channel when a burger or milkshake commercial is on! Sugar and fats are very addictive - advertisers and food companies do not want you to know that! Hypnosis really helps to protect yourself from the stream of fast food ads!

What about other addictive substances? I do not do traditional hypnotherapy with people physically addicted to alcohol, prescription or street drugs. If you are addicted to drugs or alcohol - Alcoholics/Narcotics Anonymous has the best track record of keeping folks clean and sober. For emergency situations - checking into rehabilitation clinic or Samaritan Village is the best way to save your own life. QHHT (Quantum Healing Hypnotherapy) has a good record of helping people with these issues - but I insist that a client has to be "clean and sober" for at least 1 month before getting a session.  If you are a "problem drinker" or use recreational drugs socially/occasionally and do not suffer from physical addiction - I can do QHHT session with you, but  please, do not use any mind-altering substances on the day of the session,  no heavy drinking for several days before the session.